You may notice some of your employees struggling to keep up with their jobs, especially when they are assigned complex and tedious tasks. This can cause long-term detriments such as decreased productivity, work pressure, and job dissatisfaction. Job simplification was devised to solve such issues. You can see job simplification practiced in many businesses. Its goal is to create a better work process to maximize output and productivity while minimizing costs and expenditures. Read on to learn more about what job simplification is and its advantages and disadvantages.
What Is Job Simplification?
Job simplification is defined as the process of breaking down tasks in an existing role to make them simpler and more focused. It is meant to increase an employee’s productivity by reducing the amount of work they have to do and the work pressure they are experiencing. Work pressure can include mental stress, emotional stress, or intense physical labor that is encountered while working. An organization can save costs as the newly simplified jobs require a lower level of proficiency and less training. In addition, job simplification also increases productivity levels as employees can better perform their simplified tasks compared to the previously complex ones.
The Technique of Job Simplification
A complex job, typically one that is the least productive, is first identified. It is appraised through collecting data such as time spent, steps, and processes, and then analyzing the data to determine what should be changed. To decide how the tasks should be simplified, there are five options to consider— elimination, combination, re-arranging, and simplification. Once you have chosen your solution, try it out for a couple of months before implementing it.
Advantages of Job Simplification
There are many advantages to job simplification that can better your organization. Breaking down complex jobs into simpler ones make each new task easier to complete, reducing the difficulty and time taken compared to the original job. In the short term, employees can improve on skills and productivity as they only need to focus on a narrower set of jobs. The simplicity of such jobs also decreases the chances of work pressure previously experienced when doing complex tasks.
Additionally, with simplified jobs, it is much more convenient to replace employees. Competent employees can be easily recognized and promoted to higher positions, while inefficient employees can be replaced as the skills needed for the tasks are low. Training is also easier to conduct as the tasks are straightforward enough for any new hire to grasp. As a result, the organization can cut costs during turnover while boosting productivity rates overall.
Disadvantages of Job Simplification
Although job simplification is abundant in its benefits, there are also downsides to implementing it. With a simplified job, it may be monotonous to carry out over the long term. The repetitious nature of the job can affect employees’ morale and self-worth and in turn, cause them to slow down and cut corners, reducing the productivity and quality of work. Adept workers will also start to feel frustrated and may seek other jobs that can stimulate them and put their skills to good use.
